8/18 SOCI420: Political Sociology Notes Day 1

Welcome and Course Identity

• Course: Political Sociology (Sociology 420). Instructor: Jacob Din. Pronouns: he/they. Welcome and quick orientation to ensure you’re in the right place.
• Day’s plan: brief philosophy and participation guidelines, syllabus review (requirements, assignments, schedule, policies), instructor intro, and student introductions (time permitting).
• Quick check of prior experience:
  • Sociology major? (hands raised)
  • Have you taken sociology before? (most have)
• Prerequisites: none. The course will review major theories so everyone is prepared to proceed.

Core Focus of Political Sociology

• Definition: Political sociology studies the interrelationships between society and politics; the social basis of politics and how social forces shape political/economic institutions and are shaped by them.
• Key characteristic: bidirectional (dialectical) relationship between state/social organizations and policy terms.
• Core questions: how power operates in society, how it is distributed/structured, and how it affects lives.
• Broader scope: beyond state and social organizations to include policy formation, political authority, stability, revolutions, and counter-revolutions.
• Abstract vs. concrete: initial overview is abstract; specifics will be clarified in later classes.

Canon and Critical Perspective

• There is a political sociology canon (typical textbooks/syllabus) shaped by politics, economics, and society.
• Canon critique: current canon has flaws, notably:
  • Neglect of political economy as it relates to capitalism, imperialism, and colonialism.
  • Euro/US-centric focus prioritizing imperial core over periphery/global South.
  • Historically white and male dominance in the field.
• This course foregrounds a more expansive, inclusive approach by including non-traditional writings that still meet political sociology criteria.
• Aim: to move beyond conventional materials and challenge existing tendentious tendencies.
• Reference to Max Weber as part of the traditional canon; will be discussed in upcoming sessions.

Teaching Philosophy and Class Culture

• Bellhooks (quoted as Valvox in transcript) on the academy: "The academy is not paradise. The learning is a place where paradise can be created in the classroom with all its limitations remains the location of possibility." (context: critique of academia and its role in reproducing inequalities; universities as revenue-driven institutions with problematic incentives).
• The classroom as a space for collective understanding and decoding social forces; aim to demystify how social structures shape individual experiences.
• The goal of sociology: connect personal troubles to public issues (C. Wright Mills' sociological imagination).
• Marx quotes used to frame goals of the course:
  • "Philosophers have hitherto only interpreted the world in various ways; the point is to change it." (from the 1845 work, often cited on a tombstone).
  • "Men make their own history, but not under circumstances of their choosing; they do so under the circumstances existing already, given and transmitted from the past." (Marx, et al., referencing historical material conditions).
• Core aims: provide conceptual tools to guide action and historical understanding of current conditions and possible futures.
• Emphasis on agency within structure: the dialectic of structure and agency, with recognition that not all change is controllable but change is possible.
• Openness and disagreement:
  • The class welcomes disagreement and critical engagement with authors and peers.
  • Disagreement should be respectful and focused on ideas, not people.
  • The syllabus and readings reflect authors’ ideological perspectives; students should critique them and propose alternative viewpoints.
• Everything is political: the field is wide and intersects with power, economy, and culture.

Discussion Guidelines (Feminist Process Discussion Guidelines)

• Core practices (not exhaustive):
  • Respected discussion and facilitators: listen actively when others speak; collaboratively sustain productive discussions.
  • Step up / step back: balance participation; encourage others to contribute if you’ve been talking.
  • Share the air: invite others into the conversation.
  • I statements: frame contributions as personal perspectives (e.g., "I think…").
  • Consider your position: reflect on race, gender, sexuality, class, and other differences to work across boundaries.
  • Address behavior, not individuals: focus on actions causing friction.
  • Apologize when needed and offer apologies to restore trust.
  • Practice good faith: assume others’ good intentions unless proven otherwise.
  • Mindful of jargon: ask for clarification when acronyms or terms are unclear; raise a hand when you don’t understand.
  • Don’t be racist/sexist/insulting: basic ground rules for respectful discourse.
• Note: Feminist Process guidelines are context-dependent and aim to foster trust; not a rigid classroom protocol but a useful starting point for discussion.

Class Policy Notes

• Office hours: Mondays 02:45–03:45 PM (Paul Murray 205). Time/location may change; can arrange Zoom if needed. No key to office today; can chat after class if needed.
• Communication: email is preferred for questions and schedule changes.
• Readings and technology:
  • Readings will be posted on Canvas; no required purchased texts; materials organized by week.
  • Avoid over-reliance on generative AI; use AI as a supplement, not a substitute for critical thinking and writing.

Syllabus Overview and Topics (Scope)

• Core topics to be covered: states/state formation; revolutions and social movements; political economy; equality; imperialism and colonialism; nations and nationalism; democracy; welfare state; citizenship; civil society; race, gender, sexuality in relation to political sociology.
• This is described as a beginner-friendly course, with the expectation that the material will be built up through the semester and related to real-world issues.
• Format: lectures, discussions, videos, and activities; schedule is flexible and adaptable based on feedback.
• Readings/Materials: accessible through Canvas; no mandatory textbook purchases.
• The course aims to enable historical understanding and contemporary analysis of political issues, particularly in the current moment.

Course Format, Assessments, and Grading (with LaTeX-formatted numbers)

• Format: combination of lectures, discussions, videos, and activities; flexible to accommodate student feedback.
• Attendance and Participation: $20\%$ of final grade. Requirements:
  • Attend class and come prepared; participate in discussions; complete readings before class (sometimes readings are podcasts/videos).
  • If you miss class for illness or other reasons, email ahead and follow policies to make arrangements.
• Brief Reading Responses: $21\%$ of final grade. Details:
  • You will write $7\times 250\text{ words}$ reading response papers across the semester.
  • Each response is worth $3\%$ of the grade.
  • Topics: reflections on readings from the previous two weeks; can include reactions, comparisons, critiques, questions, or connections to other materials (books, articles, videos, podcasts).
  • Minimum: roughly 200 words of thoughtful engagement per response; higher quality responses are encouraged.
  • Note: Use original thinking; discourage reliance on AI-generated content; AI can be a tool, but it should not substitute your own writing.
• Movement Film Paper: $19\%$ of final grade. Details:
  • Watch two movies about social movements and write a 1{,}200-word essay comparing/contrasting them and linking to course concepts/readings.
  • Due around Halloween (date to be specified in the schedule).
  • Further guidance to be provided later.
• Creative Project: $40\%$ of final grade. Structure:
  • Three parts: Proposal (5%), Project (25%), Presentation (10%).
  • Flexible formats (as long as they relate to course theories and receive approval): e.g., zine, collage, podcast, video, children’s book, Wikipedia pages, game design, speeches, Instagram series, surveys, observations, etc.
  • If the project involves little writing, an artist statement (250-word minimum) is required to explain decisions and connections to the course; the exact word count will be agreed upon in the proposal.
  • Proposals: a 250-word plan detailing the project, its relation to the class, and deliverables; must be approved by the instructor; revisions may be required.
  • Presentations: brief, up to about 4 minutes per student due to large class size; schedule to be confirmed (tentative date around December 9).
• Final: No final exam; final assessment is the class presentations.
• Schedule and Deadlines:
  • Canvas modules organized by week; readings posted by Friday when possible; some reads may be uploaded late as resources are sourced.
• Important note on policy: absence policies depend on individual circumstances; contact the instructor via email for guidance and accommodations.

First Class and Schedule Overview

• Tomorrow’s focus (in class): define political sociology more thoroughly; then review foundational theories from Marx, pluralism, elite theory, conflict theory, functionalism; a refresher for those who have taken sociological theory before.
• Subsequent topics (high-level roadmap):
  • Political economy and capitalism as a foundation for understanding political processes.
  • The state and governance; then a broader international perspective on imperialism and colonialism.
  • Readings by Cesaire, Rodney, Fanon, Nkrumah, and others for international perspectives.
  • Social movements and revolutions (French, Russian, Haitian, Iranian).
  • Nationalism, race, gender, sexuality in relation to political sociology.
  • Civil society and welfare states.
• Note: the schedule is subject to change; policy updates and revisions will be announced.

Instructor Introduction

• Name: Jacob Din. Pronouns: he/they. Background:
  • Undergraduate: University of Michigan; major in film and screenwriting.
  • Post-graduate experience: various jobs (flower delivery, ice cream shop, cater waiter, barista, Banana Republic).
  • Master’s degree: Public Policy, University of Wisconsin–Madison.
  • Current focus: PhD student studying social and labor movements; excited to teach this unconventional political sociology course.
• Perspective: political sociology is aspirational and modular, with a focus on understanding power and possibility in the world.
• Personal note: the instructor demonstrates a diverse set of experiences and aims to connect theory to real-world implications.

Icebreaker: Three Truths and a Lie

• Format: four statements; three true, one false; students guess the lie.
• Statements (as read in class):
  1) “During my last year in undergrad, I wrote a screenplay called Buttling about a clumsy boy who dreams of becoming a butler, and it tends to prestigious Buttling Academy in England.”
  2) “I was once an apprentice to the cheese monger at an Italian grocery store before getting promoted to a novice cheese monger.”
  3) “My cousin is in Balaboy but before he was famous, he used to play for us at family gatherings, and I told him I didn't like his music.”
  4) “I have the silly rabbit from the tricksterial thing tattooed on my arm.”
• Outcome: The lie was that the game itself lied about the statements; in reality, all statements were true (but the organizer framed it as a lie for the game).
• Visuals shared: a photo of the speaker’s cousin (Joey Drummond) and a tattoo of the silly rabbit; context about other experiences (screenplay, cheese monger) were real.

Student Introductions (Illustrative Summary)

• The class goes around introducing themselves with name, pronouns, one-sentence reason for taking the course, and a vegetable analogy:
  • Eva — pronouns: she/any; reason: public policy elective; vegetable: carrot.
  • Gus — pronouns: he/him; reason: interest in democracy decline through a sociological lens; vegetable: spinach.
  • Lucy — pronouns: she/her; reason: shifting from neurodiagnostics; vegetable: carrot.
  • Daniella — pronouns: she/her; reason: returned after funding cuts, switching paths; vegetable: cantaloupe.
  • Associate major — pronouns not stated; reason: unspecified; vegetable: onion.
  • Shiva — pronouns not clearly stated; reason: background in economics; vegetable: potato.
  • Lexi — pronouns: she/her; reason: social and economic justice minor; vegetable: zucchini.
  • Sana — pronouns: she/her; reason: sociology major; vegetable: eggplant.
  • Catherine — pronouns: she/her; reason: sociology major; vegetable: spinach.
  • Nate — pronouns unclear; reason: ethical direction in career; vegetable: not specified.
  • Lindsey — pronouns: she/her; reason: sociology major; vegetable: tomato.
  • Julia — pronouns: she/her; reason: pursuing master’s; vegetable: potato.
  • Brooke — pronouns: she/her; reason: biology (health and society minor) interest; vegetable: (not clearly stated).
  • Sanjay — pronouns unclear; reason: biology major with health and society minor; vegetable: potato.
  • Ava — pronouns: she/her; reason: sociology major; vegetable: cucumber.
  • Sterling — pronouns: she/her; reason: sociology and political science; vegetable: cucumber.
  • Cameron — pronouns: she/her; reason: conflict management minor; vegetable: tomato.
  • Helen — pronouns: she/her; reason: psychology and political science major; vegetable: not stated.
• Note: The introductions reveal a diverse set of majors and interests, with a common thread of interest in the intersection of sociology and politics.

Wrap-Up of First Session

• The class covers a broad and ambitious syllabus with a distinctive, non-traditional approach to political sociology.
• There is an emphasis on student participation, critical discussion, and the active design of projects that connect theory to real-world issues.
• Students are reminded to stay engaged with readings and participate actively to benefit from the collective learning process.

Key Takeaways for Exam Preparation

• Understand the bidirectional relationship between society and politics in political sociology.
• Be able to articulate criticisms of traditional canons in sociology (Eurocentrism, neglect of political economy, whiteness/maleness) and articulate potential inclusive approaches.
• Recall the core quotes and ideas from Mills and Marx that connect personal troubles to public issues and the imperative to change the world.
• Be familiar with the course philosophy on open inquiry, respectful disagreement, and the idea that everything is political.
• Remember the main course components and their weightings: attendance/participation ($20\%$), reading responses ($21\%$), movement paper ($19\%$), and creative project ($40\%$) with its three parts (proposal $5\%$, project $25\%$, presentation $10\%$).
• Understand the logistics: meeting times (Mon/Wed/Fri, $01:25\text{ PM}$–$02:15\text{ PM}$), office hours (Mon, $02:45\text{ PM}$–$03:45\text{ PM}$), location caveats, and Canvas as primary resource.
• Be prepared to engage in the first-week topics: define political sociology, review foundational theories, and preview political economy, state, imperialism, nationalism, revolutions, social movements, and civil society.
• Recognize the flexibility of the course format and the emphasis on student feedback to tailor the class.